Ryan International Airlines Pilots Reach Tentative Contract Agreement With Management

Ryan International Airlines Pilots Reach Tentative Contract Agreement With
Management

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryan International Airlines pilots,
represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA),
announced today that they have reached a tentative agreement (TA) with
management on a new pilot contract after more than two and a half years of
negotiations.
The agreement gives pilots an average 40 percent pay increase throughout
the life of the four year contract in addition to significant improvements in
nearly every section of the contract, including retirement, scheduling,
vacations, training, benefits and more.
"Our union leaders and Negotiating Committee stand firmly behind this
tentative agreement as we believe it provides Ryan pilots with many of the
improvements they mandated," said Captain Erik Sparks, head of the ALPA unit
at Ryan International Airlines. "But this deal will also greatly benefit our
company in that we believe many of its provisions will serve to strengthen the
airline's operations and improve productivity. It's a win, win proposition."
Pilots have been frustrated by the tumultuous negotiating process and
combative labor/management relations. They look forward to a more
collaborative relationship with management based on mutual respect and
teamwork.
"Pilots want Ryan Airlines to succeed and prosper, and we believe this new
agreement, once ratified by our members, will help solidify our airline's path
to success as it addresses many inefficiencies noted by pilots in the course
of their daily routine," said Sparks. "We are pleased to have the ability to
give the company input to positively impact our airline's operations."
Pilots and management will work over the course of the next few days to
finalize contract language. Once that is completed, pilot leaders will begin
a series of teleconferences to present their members with the full terms and
conditions of the new tentative agreement before conducting a membership vote
on the TA.
The pilots of Ryan International Airlines provide service throughout the
globe, flying Boeing 767s, 757s, 737s and MD83s on contracts for the U.S.
Department of Defense and Department of Justice. The airline also serves the
traveling public through contracts with Apple Vacations, Funjet, Aero Sur and
TravelSpan, among others. ALPA is the world's largest pilots union
representing more than 60,000 cockpit crewmembers at 43 airlines in the U.S.
and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.
SOURCE Air Line Pilots Association, International

Captain Erik Sparks, +1-704-622-6341; or Anya Piazza, +1-703-626-7926, both of
ALPA